Granted that as a general rule, we don't add time for ball in and out of play, I typically do add some time for balls out of play in U-16 and above on the big center field at my home club which is significantly higher than the surrounding fields and bounded by steep falling grades. Coupled with a strong prevailing seasonal south wind, balls that go north out of touch roll to Kansas, if not Saskatchewan. We lose significant time. I tell the players its like playing in the Alps. I try to get at least two-three extra balls to leave in nets and on the downwind side and conscript sibling ball retrievers. As AR, I even break the unwritten rule not to stop a ball going out of touch (well, I don't "stop" it, I just let it "bounce" off of me to kill enough momentum so that it doesn't go ridiculously far.)

Like most of the fields in the complex, the ground falls away rapidly along the touchline such that spectators in fold up chairs are at a 60 degree angle facing the sky with grandmothers tumbling backwards to collect in the ditch at the bottom. When the civil engineer had the site graded, no one told him to make the plateaus any wider than the fields themselves. You don't even want to hear about the horrors of being an AR on some fields there - sidestepping with your heels lower than your toes and sprinting sideways along a steep grade. The fields do drain like the dickens though.

Bill Liedtke OKC OK 07

> -----Original Message----- > From: Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Mike Moore > Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 9:52 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Time Management > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > Ron, where have you heard/read that time is not added for the scoring of > > goals? This is something we have been taught for many years > and have seen > > done in many a game at all levels. As to a shutout and Law 18, I never > said > > that the goals were all against one team. In fact, the game > ended with a > > one-goal differential (as it was at half-time too). > > > > Steve > > Here in Canada, we don't add in time for the ball out of play during the > normal course of events. Since a goal is fairly normal, no time > gets added. > I don't think that refs in the UK add on any time for goals either, but I > was only a player there, not an official. > > Mike Moore >